Cambrian Shed (nearly Aberystwyth shed). Now with Cambrian Mainline diorama

[Mike 84C]

Should have said don't forget the operating lever that ran under the tub to hold closed or open the door.

[SteamingWales]

13 hours ago, Mike 84C said:

just a thought about the coal stage. I don't think there would have been a large pile of coal in the corner, that would have meant handling it twice. At Banbury we had a lot of tubs that were mostly kept full and when a fresh wagon of coal was opened four tubs would be put under the door and the catches knocked up. Most coal went into the tubs! after 1/2 tubs would be filled at a time. The tilting ramp should be high enough to clear the highest parts of large locos and were often seized in the down position.

Coalers and fire droppers were usually very wiry little men or had arms like shot putters. I have helped on both jobs back in the day and very glad I did'nt do it all the time!

 

Thanks for the advice and very informative.

 

I have been looking at the coal pile and thinking it was wrong too. Like you say why double handle the coal. It is only stuck down with PVA so has been easy to remove with soaking with water 😃

 

A quick look at the tilting ramp too when in position (something I haven't previously done), locos do actually fit under!!! From previous calculations I thought they wouldn't but they do as demonstrated by 6378

[SteamingWales]

Ta da. Render and brick work complete

 

The actual colour of the render is not what it is in the photo and is a lot less grey.

 

The windows and doors are currently being painted (first coat) and will be fitted once dry

 

I'm in 2 minds whether to add an interior to the building. On the layout it sits behind the shed and from the planned main viewing direction it won't be very visible. I don't plan on adding working lights to the buildings either (the main shed would require minimum 26 lights) and the setting is summer 1960 so in reality lights wouldn't be used much so lights won't highlight it's emptiness

 

Thoughts anyone????

 

[ChrisN]

1 hour ago, SteamingWales said:

Ta da. Render and brick work complete

 

The actual colour of the render is not what it is in the photo and is a lot less grey.

 

The windows and doors are currently being painted (first coat) and will be fitted once dry

 

I'm in 2 minds whether to add an interior to the building. On the layout it sits behind the shed and from the planned main viewing direction it won't be very visible. I don't plan on adding working lights to the buildings either (the main shed would require minimum 26 lights) and the setting is summer 1960 so in reality lights wouldn't be used much so lights won't highlight it's emptiness

 

Thoughts anyone????

 

 

I do like the look of what you have done, very good.

 

I always like interiors, but then again I am barmy.  If there are dividing walls inside, I would do them, and have the roof so that it fits but is not stuck down so that you can do the interior later when you have time.

Edited July 3, 2022 by ChrisN

[SteamingWales]

16 hours ago, ChrisN said:

have the roof so that it fits but is not stuck down so that you can do the interior later when you have time

 

I should have thought of that really 🤦‍♂️ Removable roof it is then!

[SteamingWales]

Just a little update for this week with visiting parents and other priorities

 

The coal tubs have been suitability weathered and filled. That's all I have to report

 

[SteamingWales]

Update time!!!!!

 

With the extremely hot weather I have given up painting stuff as it literally just turns to sludge when it gets on the brush, thoughts turned back towards the coal stage again.

 

Having seen the work of @Nick Goughon his layout and his station construction I had finally found a method to tackle the brick corbelling for the water tank to sit on. The construction is simple in principle just layering up plasticard, in principle I found it a bit more difficult with lining up the bricks and getting the strips the correct length but it's done now 😅

 

 

I'm happy with the results so hopefully it can be painted soon.

 

The plan ahead now for the tank is to: 1. Acquire some 1/4 round strips to go on the top edge. 2. Jump into CAD and draw the tank (maybe)

[Nick Gough]

Pleased to see that it worked for you.

[SteamingWales]

So I have recently been suffering with Covid (first time) which interrupted modelling and just life in general. Thankfully I'm on the mend so have managed to get a bit of modelling done today...

 

Water Tank Version 0/Test Bed

 

This feels to me like the next "big project" for the progression of the coal staging.

 

This version of the water tank is simply a test bed to experiment with how the final thing will look and go together

 

 

A few initial thoughts/notes:

 

1. The tank is smaller than the brick base. There will be beading round the edge to set the tank into (and to hide mistakes/gaps round the bottom 😏

 

2. I need to find rivet transfers. I know Railtec do them. Any other small businesses do them?

 

3. The arc of the tank top is too tight (I just cut round a dinner plate 😅😅😅). I will probably 3D print a shallower arch to glue inside to get a better curve and also provide support for the roof

 

This feels like a major leap for me into scratch building as all the previous structures have been cardboard clads Vs a straight up building from plastic so any tips/tricks are all appreciated 

[Graham T]

How about getting a pounce wheel for the rivets?

[ChrisN]

There are Archer's Rivet transfers, which I know @Mikkel has used successfully.

 

Also @westerhamstation made his own riviter, which I was going to direct you to but it has been lost in the great photo robbery.  He said his one was useful for "paper,thin card, self adhesive label paper and foil".  He had used a pounce wheel professionally and thought it was too sharp for rivets, but I assume that they could be adapted.

[SteamingWales]

A short mid-week update on build progress.

 

I'm currently waiting on the postie to deliver the materials to build the water tank for the coal stage so thought I would start the roof and add the windows to the rendered building.

 

Windows first. Previously I have built buildings by sticking glazing directly to the interior wall and then gluing the frame in separately, but had to approach this differently with the way it is built with the sandpaper which is a bit difficult to wrap around the windows and is quite thick giving very deep set windows. Therefore the windows are friction fit with the frames glued direct to the glazing, cut out and pressed in. The windows hold fast as the sandpaper does a nice job with the help of a little glue

 

 

I have also started on the roof. The rafters are 3d printed with the top beam being a plastic strips and then main roof made from 0.5mm card. I've also cut notches in the walls so the top beam sits nicely. This gives the roof a positive fit AND keeps it in place properly whilst being removable. Currently waiting on some laser cut roof tiles so I might design and 3d print the chimney in the meantime

 

 

 

 

[SteamingWales]

One water tank slowly materialising from a pile of white plastic sheet and strip. 

 

Hopefully have something more tank like later in the weekend 🤞🤞

 

 

[SteamingWales]

Minor stupid style post (proper update on water tank and other bits to follow soon)

 

Just received this little bix of 3D printed chimneys (I was struggling with designing my own) and they have arrived wrapped in tissue paper, plus the normal bubble wrap, with a personally written noted!

 

Not complaining in the slightest, just surprised (?) by it but nice to see the business takes care in their work 👍

[SteamingWales]

A belated update from the weekends modelling, partly because I was modelling to the end of the day on Sunday.

 

First thing to be completed was the roof for the stand alone workshop which sits behind the shed. This has now recieved tiles and bargeboards and will require painting in due course, plus it still needs the door fitting!

 

 

I have been putting off the next job since forever but I am slowly running out of tasks to do without a proper baseboard set up so have finally bit the bullet and have started work on the second engine shed side.

 

Unlike the side that is complete (shown in above image) the non-started side is all windows so I can't be lazy in places and just fill each in with a square of brick sheet like has been done with the complete side

 

Given that I need to make 14 I have chosen to produce them in batch, rather than complete one panel at a time. Process as follows:

 

1. Cut out 2x main wall panels from 2mm grey board

2. Glued these together and add window sills and glazing

3. Add brick plasticard to the window frame

4. Cut off the excess from window sills and brick so it is flush with the card

5. Add main window sills top and bottom

6. Add the main brick face

7. Repeat steps 3 to 6 on the reverse side

 

Only 2 have made it to step 6 so far with the rest sat at step 5 but they will be easy to pick up whenever with them being done as a batch

 

Edited August 8, 2022 by SteamingWales

[SteamingWales]

Minor update on the shed and slight deviation from the 7 step process 😅

 

Just spent the evening rough cutting with a template the brick faces. This is just the cutting them to a rough size and the main window, leaving a few mm slop each side to tidy up/make nice

 

 

Still a few to go before I have enough for the full 13 sections but I need my beauty sleep 😴😴

[SteamingWales]

One side complete. Onto the other 💪

[SteamingWales]

I decided to clear off the modelling desk this morning as it was literally just a pile of off-cuts and junk.

 

I decided to set up the full shed with the free space. This has been one of those moments where you ask WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING??? 😅 It is massive (note 30cm ruler)

 

 

It did give me an excuse to get some locos out though 😃

 

 

 

[ChrisN]

On 13/08/2022 at 12:06, SteamingWales said:

I decided to clear off the modelling desk this morning as it was literally just a pile of off-cuts and junk.

 

I decided to set up the full shed with the free space. This has been one of those moments where you ask WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING??? 😅 It is massive (note 30cm ruler)

 

 

It did give me an excuse to get some locos out though 😃

 

 

 

 

If you have the space, why not?

[SteamingWales]

DAMN IT! I ran out of the plastic strip that I have been using for the window sills on the shed walls and I'm 3 bits short 😒 So now I have 2 walls that look like this, and I have used all my modelling budget up for the month so can't get anymore immediately 💩

 

What to do next then? It is too hot to paint anything, I need materials to carry on building construction (not just the shed walls) and no baseboard to do anything on. The 3D printer looks tempting.

 

A bit of thought and the workshop on the side of the shed looks a little bare currently, so its reference image and CAD time. Thanks go to @alanbuttler for sharing a link to their images of the workshop internals before it was demolished a few years ago by the VoR. These have been used to draw up the rafters in CAD ready for 3D printing (something to set going before work tomorrow)

 

 

Whilst look at photos I also realised I had build the workshop wrong and only one wall needs to be stepped to accomodate the sky lights, not both so out come the knives and files. Problem solved...

 

 

 

[SteamingWales]

6 hours ago, ChrisN said:

 

If you have the space, why not?

 

Let me rephrase it. I do have the space, just enough in fact to fit everything in and it not be cramped

 

The "what am I doing" is more because I forgot how big the actual shed is as a stand alone model as the constituent parts (prior to this mass wall build) normally live in a shoe box, and the pile of walls never looks like it can create such a big structure 

[SteamingWales]

I'm pretty pleased with myself on this one and think I'll give myself a pat on the back

 

The workshop with the 3D printed rafters actually looks like the CAD! I'll say excuse the blue tack, the card has slightly bowed so the middle of the building is ~1mm wider than the ends

 

[SteamingWales]

This weekend has been a bit of tying up loose ends and a bit of research.

 

LOOSE ENDS (KIND OF)

 

To start with I have added the roof to the shed workshops (n.b. the whole structure is still dry fit) and thoughts have now turned to the next stages, but more on that later

 

 

Next up is the water tank for the coal stage. I can't remember what I posted here but have slightly changed the design so all the faces are essentially flush with rivets giving the sides relief (on the to do list) and bringing it in line more with the prototype

 

 

RESEARCH

 

1. WORKSHOPS

 

Part of getting everything to look right is research. So I have been staring at images of the workshops recently to get a better understanding of what they should look like and the construction involved.

 

I have come across the photo below which has proved REALLY useful because:

 

a. It shows the size of the roof tiles used 

b. It shows have the skylights are constructed

c. It shows how the walkways on the roof are built

d. It shows the back of the shed which is not often photographed/clear (more to follow on this)

 

So I am pretty well set up with what is required in design terms for the future

 

 

2. A Clan Class??👀

 

Yes. I own a Hornby Clan and as we all know they would have never made it onto the Cambrian network, or would they? 🤔😏

 

I was inspired recently by a blog post regards improving the recent release from Hornby (mainly the green running boards) to get mine out and start on a little project with this beauty.

 

More on this to follow...

 

 

Happy modelling!!!!

[SteamingWales]

This water tank has been the bain of my life for the past week.

 

I have had real problems trying to get a smooth finish with filler between joins of the faces and then not being able to sand everything down perfectly until I bought some ultrafine 1200 grit wet and dry which eventually did the job 

 

Then the primer that I bought from Vallejo wasn't what I expected and essentially pooled at the bottom of the tank sides when I wasn't looking, so all that had to come off and start again, which also damaged the filler in places. I genuinely felt like giving up at this point  Should have just stuck to the good old rattle can 😒 

 

So it was back to filling and sanding and priming again

 

And then the rivet detail. This was actually the easiest part after I thought it was going to be the most difficult! Really happy with the Railtec product. Just like any other waterslide. Soak it, line it up, dab it dry, jobs a goodun'

 

I only have a "finished" photo of the tank as I was so annoyed at everything else I didn't take any disaster photos

 

I just hope I don't wreck it now when adding the roof and paintwork 

[Nick Gough]

Certainly looks good in that photo.